Antrim Reserve Football Shield Semi-Final
St Enda’s 2-11 Sarsfields 1-06
Hightown
St Enda’s booked their place in next week’s Antrim Reserve Football Shield final against St Paul’s after overcoming Sarsfields by 2-11 to 1-06 at Hightown.
The eight-point winning margin reflected the greater number of chances created by the Glengormley side, although they could have made their passage considerably more comfortable. St Enda’s enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but were guilty of some wayward shooting in both halves, particularly during the opening 30 minutes when they had a strong wind at their backs.
Despite those misses, they led by three points at half-time and, after Sarsfields briefly threatened to turn the contest around with a goal early in the second half, two goals from Ronan Kalla ultimately settled the semi-final.
St Enda’s made the brighter start and Odhran McKenna opened the scoring from play after three minutes.
They almost had a goal a minute later, only for Sarsfields goalkeeper Cayden McGovern to produce a brilliant point-blank save.
St Enda’s continued to apply the pressure and Declan Murray sent over from the right in the sixth minute before Kalla converted a free six minutes later to make it 0-03 to 0-00.
Sarsfields finally found their range in the 14th minute when Pearse Murray converted a free, and less than a minute later the same player finished off a well-worked move with a point from play to reduce the deficit to one.
St Enda’s responded through McKenna, who finished another good team move with a point after 18 minutes, before Kalla added a fine score four minutes later.
McKenna then struck his third point of the half in the 23rd minute to stretch the home side’s advantage to four.
Murray kept Sarsfields in touch by converting another free in the 26th minute and the visitors had an opportunity to further reduce the deficit approaching the interval, but St Enda’s goalkeeper Jack Morris made a good stop under severe pressure.
That left St Enda’s leading 0-06 to 0-03 at half-time, but it was a lead that might have been considerably greater.
The Hightown side had enjoyed much the better of the possession and had played with the strong wind, but a succession of wides meant Sarsfields remained very much in contention going into the second half.
The visitors quickly took advantage.
Murray opened the second-half scoring with a point after three minutes before Sarsfields struck for the game’s opening goal just over three minutes later.
A free awarded for a breach was taken quickly and Murray found the net to suddenly put Sarsfields in front.
Having failed to make the most of their first-half dominance, St Enda’s were now facing a real test.
Their response, however, was impressive.
Cathair McKenna landed an excellent point under severe pressure in the ninth minute to settle the home side, although Sarsfields replied through Fintan McCallum two minutes later.
McGovern then produced another superb full-length save in the 12th minute as St Enda’s pushed hard to regain the initiative.
The breakthrough arrived almost immediately afterwards when the home side were awarded a penalty. Kalla stepped up and made no mistake, finding the net to swing the momentum firmly back towards St Enda’s.
Sarsfields continued to battle and Darragh Gorman kept them in touch with a point from play in the 22nd minute, but St Enda’s were beginning to find more space as the contest entered its closing stages.
Declan Murray landed an excellent point under heavy pressure a minute later before Darragh Rooney added another in the 25th minute.
Cathair McKenna followed with a point from play as St Enda’s gradually opened up a decisive advantage.
The score that finally ended the Sarsfields challenge arrived in the 29th minute and was arguably the best move of the contest.
St Enda’s worked the ball superbly from one end of the field to the other before Kalla provided the finishing touch, driving the ball into the Sarsfields net for his second goal of the half.
Ryan Kennedy rounded off the scoring with a point in the 32nd minute as St Enda’s completed a 2-11 to 1-06 victory.
There were certainly opportunities for both sides to add to their totals, but St Enda’s created considerably more scoring chances over the course of the game. Their shooting was wasteful at times, particularly when they had the wind advantage in the opening half, but their greater possession and two decisive second-half goals eventually ensured their progression.
Kalla finished with 2-02, including the crucial penalty that regained the initiative after Sarsfields had briefly moved ahead, while Odhran McKenna contributed three first-half points. McGovern also impressed in the Sarsfields goal with two excellent saves that prevented St Enda’s from putting the contest beyond the visitors much earlier.
The Glengormley side can now turn their attention to next week’s Antrim Reserve Football Shield final against St Paul’s.
St Enda’s: 1 Jack Morris, 2 Joe Walsh 3 Ciaran McKeown, 4 Owen Kennedy, 5 Ryan Kelly, 6 Ryan Kennedy, 7 Ryan McCloskey, 8 Oisin O’Hare, 9 Declan McGinley, 10 Declan Murray, 11 Darragh Rooney, 12 Cathair McKenna, 13 Sean Neilan, 15 Odhran McKenna, 18 Declan McGinley, 19 Ruairi Doran, 24 Ronan Kalla, 26 Eoin Devine, 29 Adam Murphy.
Sarsfields: 1 Cayden McGovern, 2 Stephen McCarry, 3 Ethan Mervyn, 4 Niall Rice, 5 Ciaran Carson, 7 Sean McLoughlin, 8 Jay Ward, 9 Paul Doherty, 10 Fintan McCallum, 11 Joseph McNally, 12 Darragh Gorman, 14 Pearse Murray, 15 Fionn Jeffrey, 24 Pearse Murray, 25 Niall Ferris.
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